plural noun

• An order of minute branchiopod crustaceans which includes the water fleas. They typically have a transparent shell enclosing the trunk, and large antennae which are used for swimming.

  ‘As a juvenile, Pomoxis nigromaculatus feeds mainly on microscopic prey such as Cyclops, Cladocera, and Daphnia.’

  More example sentences

  • ‘Daphnia are freshwater crustaceans in the order Cladocera that are known to have four expansion segments in the 18S rRNA gene.’
  • ‘In the chapter on the Cladocera, Smith does not address the much-discussed question of whether this Order really is a valid monophyletic group.’
  • ‘Osmoregulation in Cladocera has been comprehensively reviewed by Aladin and Potts.’
  • ‘Salt-tolerant species within the chydorid Cladocera, as well as many freshwater Ostracoda and Chironomidae, push beyond this limit by means of hyper-osmotic regulation.’